A goal of identification (ID) of an object from multiple sources of information is to combine (or fuse) information at the appropriate levels to derive a classification structure such as “fishing boat”, “military aircraft”, “F-16”, “Toyota pick-up”, etc. This in turn can help determine the allegiance of the operator of the object, such as being friendly, neutral, or adversarial towards the entity attempting the identification. The entity attempting identification may attempt to determine the intent of the object, such as whether it is a threat to it or to another entity, and how much of a threat it represents. This process is carried out countless times every day not just in military and law enforcement environments, but by people engaged in normal activities.
For example, the simple act by a pedestrian of crossing a street involves the fusion of information from multiple sensors, via the combination of sight, sound, and touch. The human brain processes this information in order to determine if it is safe to cross. If the pedestrian in question begins to cross the street and detects an approaching slow-moving car, then his or her response to this may be very different then if the car is “speeding” with an engine that is “roaring”. The first car represents a low potential threat, and the second a much more significant one. This situation becomes more rich in sensor information if the first car is a tiny compact and the second an exotic sports car. Further, if the background to this situation is that the pedestrian is a thief who just robbed a jewelry store, and the “speeding” and “roaring” car is a “police car”, then the visceral response will be further elaborated.
The term “tactical knowledge” in a tactical environment (such as security, law enforcement, and military combat) can be defined as “a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information”. Four themes of knowledge representation of information include subject (what), context (when/where), evaluation (how), and expert users (who). Assessing object elements for a commander (i.e. military) results in tactical knowledge and thus makes threat discernment possible.
Improved or alternative threat discernment themes and assessments are desired.